- Mr Plane Guy
- Dec 24, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
The Best eSIMs & Travel SIMs for International Travel (UK Travellers’ Guide)
Cheapest travel eSIMs, global SIM cards & the smart way to stay connected abroad
By Mr Plane Guy Former airline insider • Travel hacker • Plane Honest reviews
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click and activate a SIM or eSIM, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It helps fund the blog (and my airport Pret addiction).
What Is a Travel eSIM (and Why UK Travellers Are Ditching Roaming)
If you’re comparing the cheapest travel eSIM versus a global SIM card, the right choice depends on how often and how long you travel.
If you’re still landing abroad and:
hunting for airport Wi-Fi
paying £2–£7 a day in roaming fees
or buying dodgy plastic SIMs from a kiosk
…you’re doing travel the hard way.
Last April, on my way to Australia, I had a short stopover in Beijing.
I meant to sort a cheap travel eSIM beforehand… but didn’t.
I assumed I’d be fine using hotel Wi-Fi. I wasn’t.
A few days later, I received a text from my UK network saying I’d hit my mobile spending cap.
Curious, I logged in.
£1,500.
My phone bill was higher than the flight to China.
Somewhere between maps, messages and “just a bit of background data”, roaming charges had quietly stacked up and I hadn’t even realised I was using mobile data.
Don’t do what I did.
Whether it’s a stopover, city break or long-haul trip, having a data plan set up before you land isn’t optional anymore. A travel eSIM would have cost me less than a Pret lunch at Heathrow and saved me a four-figure mistake.
A travel eSIM lets you:
install mobile data digitally (no plastic SIM)
get online the moment you land
avoid roaming shock
switch countries without swapping SIMs
For UK travellers, eSIMs now fall into two smart categories:
International travel eSIMs (data-only, short trips)
Travel-friendly UK SIMs (physical SIM or eSIM, long-term value)
Knowing which one to use is how you save money.
Best eSIM for International Travel (Short Trips & Holidays)
🥇 Airalo, Best All-Round Travel eSIM for UK Travellers
If you want the cheapest, simplest travel eSIM, Airalo is the one I recommend most often.
Why Airalo works so well:
Covers 200+ countries
Local, regional & global eSIMs
Excellent app and setup
Ideal for city breaks, stopovers & holidays
Popular Airalo eSIMs (UK travellers actually buy):
🇯🇵 Japan (Moshi Moshi)
🇺🇸 USA (Change)
🇹🇭 Thailand (Happy Tourist)
🇲🇽 Mexico (Chorro Fon)
Airalo promo codes (worth using):
NEWTOAIRALO15 – 15% off (new users)
AIRALOESIM10 – 10% off (existing users)
👉 Get an Airalo travel eSIM before you fly
Avoid roaming charges, get online the moment you land, and pay a fraction of UK network roaming fees.
Use code NEWTOAIRALO15 for 15% off your first eSIM.
Best for:
Short trips, stopovers, multi-country travel, USA, Asia, Europe
🥈 Holafly, Best Unlimited Data eSIM (When You’ll Be Online All Day)
Holafly does one thing well: unlimited data.
If you’re:
glued to Google Maps
working remotely
posting constantly
streaming & hotspotting
…Holafly removes the anxiety of watching data counters.
Get unlimited data with a Holafly travel eSIM
Perfect if you’re glued to Google Maps, working remotely, or don’t want to track data while travelling.
Install before you fly and get online the moment you land.
What to know before buying:
More expensive than Airalo
Fair-use limits apply
Speed may be throttled at peak times
👉 Best for: Digital nomads, long city stays, heavy data users
Cheapest Travel eSIM vs Global SIM Card: What’s Better?
This is where most guides fall down, so let’s be clear.
Travel eSIMs are perfect when:
You’re abroad less than 30 days
You don’t need UK calls/texts
You want no contract, no commitment
A global SIM card or UK travel SIM is better when:
You travel multiple times a year
You want EU roaming included
You don’t want to reinstall eSIMs constantly
Which brings me to a genuinely interesting UK option.
The Smart Alternative: A Travel-Friendly UK SIM (Chattr)
🇬🇧 Chattr SIM, The Best Global-Friendly SIM for UK Travellers
This is where most travel blogs miss a trick.
Chattr isn’t a travel eSIM brand, it’s a UK SIM-only network that just happens to be brilliant for travellers.
And honestly? For many UK travellers, it’s cheaper long-term than buying eSIMs every trip.
Get a travel-friendly UK SIM with Chattr
Ideal if you travel more than once or twice a year.
Why Chattr is interesting:
Runs on O2’s award-winning UK network
Free EU roaming in 40+ countries
30-day rolling plans (no contracts)
Unrestricted hotspot
Real human customer support (rare now)
Plans:
5GB
25GB
Unlimited
You can use it:
in the UK
across Europe
and as your main SIM year-round
No “travel only” nonsense. It just works.
👉 Best for: UK travellers who take multiple European trips per year Families, students, frequent flyers
So… What’s the Best eSIM for Travel?
Here’s the Plane Honest answer:
✈️ Best eSIM for international travel (short trips)
Airalo – cheapest, easiest, widest coverage
🌍 Best unlimited data eSIM
Holafly – no data anxiety, higher price
🇬🇧 Best global SIM card for UK travellers
Chattr – EU roaming + everyday UK use
This is why I recommend mixing options, not blindly picking one.
My Real-World Setup (What I Actually Use)
For transparency:
UK & Europe: Chattr SIM
USA / Asia trips: Airalo eSIM
Heavy work trips: Holafly
That combo has saved me hundreds in roaming fees over the last two years.
Travel eSIM FAQs (UK Travellers)
Is a travel eSIM better than roaming?
Almost always, yes. UK roaming fees add up fast. Mine reached over £1500 whilst I was in Beijing last April!
Are eSIMs cheaper than airport SIM cards?
Yes and you avoid queues, ID checks and sketchy activation.
Can I keep WhatsApp with an eSIM?
Yes. Your main number stays active for calls & messages.
Do I need an unlocked phone?
Yes. Most modern iPhones and Androids are unlocked.
Plane Tip
If you travel once or twice a year, buy a travel eSIM.
If you travel often, get a UK SIM that roams well and layer eSIMs only when needed.
That’s how frequent flyers stay connected without paying airline-level prices.
Plane Related Links
Hello I’m Paul a travel and flight expert, I spent most of my career working in and around planes with 15 years providing top-notch service with a London-based airline. I became an expert in travel after soaring across the Atlantic up to 10 times a month!
I’m now, producing travel content, reaching millions of viewers monthly. Reporting on travel news, sharing travel tips, reviews, and deals with a sprinkle of humour and a whole lot of authenticity!
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